Ink-jet recording apparatus

Abstract

There is provided an ink-jet recording apparatus including: a body including a first conveyance route; a recording unit; a switchback conveyance part; a first flap moving between a first state in which the first flap guides, to the switchback conveyance part, a sheet conveyed to one side in a first direction and a second state in which the first flap guides, from the first conveyance route to a second conveyance route, the sheet conveyed to the other side in the first direction; and second flaps moving between a third state in which the second flaps guide, to the switchback conveyance part, the sheet conveyed to one side in the first direction and a fourth state in which the second flaps guide, from the first conveyance route to the second conveyance route, the sheet conveyed to the other side in the first direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An ink-jet recording apparatus configured to jet an ink on a sheet, comprising:
 a body including a first conveyance route through which the sheet is conveyed in a first direction; 
 a recording unit disposed in the body and configured to record an image on the sheet conveyed through the first conveyance route in the first direction; 
 a switchback conveyance part configured to selectively convey the sheet to one side or the other side in the first direction in the first conveyance route; 
 a first flap configured to move between a first state in which the first flap guides, to the switchback conveyance part, the sheet conveyed to the one side in the first direction and a second state in which the first flap guides, from the first conveyance route to a second conveyance route, the sheet conveyed to the other side in the first direction by the switchback conveyance part; and 
 second flaps disposed to sandwich the first flap in a second direction intersecting with the first direction and configured to move between a third state in which the second flaps guide, to the switchback conveyance part, the sheet conveyed to the one side in the first direction and a fourth state in which the second flaps guide, from the first conveyance route to the second conveyance route, the sheet conveyed to the other side in the first direction by the switchback conveyance part, 
 wherein a portion of the first flap making contact with the sheet conveyed through the first conveyance route to the one side in the first direction is a first contact portion; a portion of each second flap making contact with the sheet conveyed through the first conveyance route to the one side in the first direction is a second contact portion; and the first contact portion is positioned on the other side in the first direction of each second contact portion; 
 a portion of each second flap making contact with the sheet conveyed to the other side in the first direction by the switchback conveyance part is a third contact portion; a portion of the first flap making contact with the sheet conveyed to the other side in the first direction by the switchback conveyance part is a fourth contact portion; and each third contact portion extends toward the second conveyance route beyond the fourth contact portion. 
 
     
     
       2. The ink-jet recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein an end, of the first flap, on the other side in the first direction is rotatably supported by a first shaft,
 an end, of each second flap, on the other side in the first direction is rotatably supported by a second shaft, and 
 the first shaft is positioned on the other side in the first direction of each second shaft. 
 
     
     
       3. The ink-jet recording apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the first contact portion of the first flap is an inclined surface which is inclined to be increasingly distanced from the first conveyance route toward the other side in the first direction, and
 the second contact portion of each second flap is an inclined surface which is inclined to be increasingly distanced from the first conveyance route toward the other side in the first direction. 
 
     
     
       4. The ink-jet recording apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the fourth contact portion of the first flap is an inclined surface which is inclined to be increasingly distanced from the second conveyance route toward the one side in the first direction, and
 the third contact portion of each second flap is an inclined surface which is inclined to be increasingly distanced from the second conveyance route toward the one side in the first direction. 
 
     
     
       5. The ink-jet recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the switchback conveyance part is configured to switch a conveyance direction of the sheet from the one side in the first direction to the other side in the first direction in a state where an end, of the sheet conveyed to the one side in the first direction, on the other side in the first direction is in contact with the fourth contact portion of the first flap in the second state and the third contact portion of each second flap in the fourth state. 
     
     
       6. The ink-jet recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second conveyance route is connected to the first conveyance route on the one side and the other side in the first direction of the recording unit disposed on the first conveyance route. 
     
     
       7. The ink-jet recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first contact portion of the first flap and the second contact portion of each second flap make contact with a recording surface, of the sheet conveyed to the one side in the first direction, on which the image has been recorded by the recording unit.